How to File for Child Support in Pennsylvania
Determine your starting point., Estimate the amount of support using standards and thresholds., Consider hiring an attorney.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine your starting point.
In some situations, the Department of Human Services, State Collection and Disbursement Unit, will file for child support on your behalf.
If you apply for public assistance to help support your children, you will automatically trigger a state child support filing.If you do not have a support order, and do not qualify for state assistance, you will need to file for a support order in the courts (follow the method on filing an initial child support order).
If you have an existing support order and need to collect on it, you will need to file for enforcement (follow the method on enforcing an existing order). -
Step 2: Estimate the amount of support using standards and thresholds.
Child support is calculated based on both parties' monthly incomes and the number of persons being supported.The amount settled on will be determined by a number of guidelines provided by Pennsylvania law.One way to estimate the amount of support is to read the the guidelines set out in the Pennsylvania Code.
The Code provides guidelines and examples that will give you a good idea of what support you might expect.
Another way to estimate the amount of child support you might expect is to use an online child support calculator.
A great calculator can be found here.
This is the official calculator of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
Another good calculator can be found here.
Click on the link and fill out the required information, including income information, insurance costs, daycare costs, and the number of children involved in the child support action., If you can afford a family law attorney, you should consider hiring one to help you navigate the legal pathway to applying for child support.
See this article for directions on how to find a good family law attorney.
Even if you cannot afford a full-service attorney, many attorneys provide limited services at a reasonable cost.
This means you may be able to hire an attorney to prepare your documents, give you limited legal advice, or potentially even teach you about this area of the law, without having to pay the attorney to take on the entire child support process. -
Step 3: Consider hiring an attorney.
Detailed Guide
In some situations, the Department of Human Services, State Collection and Disbursement Unit, will file for child support on your behalf.
If you apply for public assistance to help support your children, you will automatically trigger a state child support filing.If you do not have a support order, and do not qualify for state assistance, you will need to file for a support order in the courts (follow the method on filing an initial child support order).
If you have an existing support order and need to collect on it, you will need to file for enforcement (follow the method on enforcing an existing order).
Child support is calculated based on both parties' monthly incomes and the number of persons being supported.The amount settled on will be determined by a number of guidelines provided by Pennsylvania law.One way to estimate the amount of support is to read the the guidelines set out in the Pennsylvania Code.
The Code provides guidelines and examples that will give you a good idea of what support you might expect.
Another way to estimate the amount of child support you might expect is to use an online child support calculator.
A great calculator can be found here.
This is the official calculator of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
Another good calculator can be found here.
Click on the link and fill out the required information, including income information, insurance costs, daycare costs, and the number of children involved in the child support action., If you can afford a family law attorney, you should consider hiring one to help you navigate the legal pathway to applying for child support.
See this article for directions on how to find a good family law attorney.
Even if you cannot afford a full-service attorney, many attorneys provide limited services at a reasonable cost.
This means you may be able to hire an attorney to prepare your documents, give you limited legal advice, or potentially even teach you about this area of the law, without having to pay the attorney to take on the entire child support process.
About the Author
Martha Gray
Experienced content creator specializing in cooking guides and tutorials.
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